Aug 17, 2021 | News, Royal Mint
The Royal Mint has today launched a new addition to their Myths and Legends bullion collection, featuring Maid Marian. The Maid Marian bullion coin follows on from the launch of the Robin Hood coin released in March, which proved extremely popular.
The Royal Mint has recently experienced a 96% increase in sales for bullion coins and bars as investors have taken advantage of the recent dip in the gold price. Bullion coins are world-renowned for their value, tradability and liquidity, making them options worth considering by investors wanting to diversity their portfolio. The Royal Mint’s range of gold bullion coins benefit from VAT exemption, while all gold, silver and platinum bullion coins are exempt from Capital Gains Tax for UK residents.
The coin’s design draws depicts Maid Marian with a bow and a quiver of arrows on her back, against the backdrop of Sherwood Forest. The Maid Marian bullion coin is available as a One Ounce Gold and One Ounce Silver. In addition to the detailed design of Maid Marian, the coin features a secure, micro-dot background texture, emphasising the craftsmanship and security associated with The Royal Mint’s gold products.
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2022 Bullion Myths and Legends Maid Marian 1oz Gold Coin obverse – MLMM221G
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2022 Bullion Myths and Legends Maid Marian 1oz Gold Coin reverse white stack – MLMM221G
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2022 Bullion Myths and Legends Maid Marian 1oz Gold Coin reverse – MLMM221G
Andrew Dickey, Divisional Director of Precious Metals at The Royal Mint, comments: “At The Royal Mint, tradition has long gone hand in hand with innovation. For an investment fit for the future, The Royal Mint is looking to Britain’s legendary past. Our latest bullion coin collection is inspired by classic stories of myth and legend – combined with the latest innovation and security features. We are delighted to be unveiling the next bullion coin in the range featuring Maid Marian. Bullion coins are an attractive option for many investors looking to diversify their investment portfolio due to their value, tradability and liquidity. Gold, silver and platinum bullion coins from The Royal Mint also benefit from being exempt from Capital Gains Tax for UK residents due to their legal tender status.”
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2021 Bullion Maid Marian 1oz Silver Coin obverse – uks53899
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2021 Bullion Maid Marian 1oz Silver Coin reverse on edge white stack – uks53899
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2021 Bullion Maid Marian 1oz Silver Coin reverse – uks53899
Andrew continues, “As a leader in precious metals, The Royal Mint’s bullion range is recognised by investors across the globe and admired for the standards of quality and accuracy that you’d expect from a world-leading mint.”
The Royal Mint has been synonymous with precious metals for over 1,100 years and is the trusted home of gold in the UK. They are the primary producer of bullion coins and bars in Britain, as well as offering digital investment opportunities and safe storage, combining a flair for design with expertise in metalwork. The form has evolved from coin to bar to digital asset, including DigiGold and physically backed, exchange-traded commodities, as well as Little Treasures, a gold-backed savings account specifically for children, yet the value and appeal has been consistent.
To view the range, visit the website: https://www.royalmint.com/invest/bullion/uk-coin-ranges/myths-and-legends/
Aug 14, 2021 | ANA, News
Benefactor’s multi-million dollar exonumia donation includes over 800 medals from Historical Society of Pennsylvania’s famous Baker Collection
More than 850 gold, silver and bronze medals related to President George Washington that were deaccessioned by the Historical Society of Pennsylvania have been donated intact to the American Numismatic Association’s (money.org) Edward C. Rochette Money Museum by prominent California rare coin dealer and real estate developer Dwight Manley.
Manley’s generous donation also includes other important Washington-related medals he separately acquired over the years that were not part of the historical society’s collection originally assembled by 19th century numismatist and researcher William Spohn Baker (1824-1897). In all, more than 1,000 medals and coins are in the donation.
This rare 1862 brass emancipation medal was engraved to Henry Clarck, who may have been a freed slave in Washington, D.C. at the time. It is from the fabled Baker Collection of George Washington-related medals and is among the more than 1,000 historic medals and coins donated to the ANA by Dwight Manley. (Photo courtesy of Stack’s Bowers Galleries.)
“This collection is the ultimate grouping of numismatic Washingtonia not only for its size but, more importantly, for its provenance – it was formed by William Spohn Baker, the first numismatic researcher to compile a systematic and comprehensive catalog of the vast series of medals related to George Washington,” states Doug Mudd, curator and director of the ANA museum.
Hundreds of different medals celebrating George Washington were privately produced in the decades before and after his death in December 1799.
In 1885, Baker authored what is still considered the standard reference book on the subject, “Medallic Portraits of Washington,” and donated his famous collection in 1897 to the Historical Society of Pennsylvania. Manley purchased more than 75 percent of the society’s Baker Collection of Washingtonian medals when 1,102 of them were offered at auction by Stack’s Bowers in November 2019.
“The Baker Collection languished for more than a century in storage at the historical society. When the medals came on the market, I wanted to keep as much of the collection intact as possible,” says Manley. “Now these important numismatic treasures will be part of the ANA’s holdings and available for public exhibits and future study.”
“These are the Mount Rushmore of medals; each one has a story. In addition to exhibits in the Money Museum and at ANA conventions, they could be used for Summer Seminar and Florence Schook School of Numismatics classes, for research to update the Baker reference book or even create a ‘Birth of a Nation’ book using illustrations of George Washington medals. The collection is a portrait of American history through images of our first president,” he states.
One of only ten known George Washington Commander in Chief, Armies of the United States (C.C.A.U.S.) silver medals is among the more than 1,000 historic medals and coins donated to the ANA by Dwight Manley. (Photo courtesy of Stack’s Bowers Galleries.)
- A rare 1862 brass Washington, D.C. emancipation medal depicting George Washington (Musante GW-566, Baker-620), PCGS AU58, engraved to Henry Clarck, who may have been a freed slave at the time. President Abraham Lincoln signed the national Emancipation Proclamation in January 1863, but Washington, D.C. enacted emancipation months earlier in April 1862.
- A superb quality example of a silver 1805 medal commemorating the Peace of 1783 (Musante GW-92, Baker-58, Julian CM-5), PCGS SP64, the fourth and final entry in the History of the Revolution Medal series.
- One of only ten known 1805 Commander in Chief, Armies of the United States (C.C.A.U.S.) silver medals (Musante GW-90, Baker-57, Julian CM-6), PCGS SP58, produced as the first of an intended series of medals celebrating the history of the Revolution. Stack’s Bowers, the auction house that sold the historical society’s Baker Collection, stated: “The C.C.A.U.S. medal has long been considered a landmark of the Washington series.”
Among the important medals separately acquired by Manley and now donated to the ANA are:
- A spectacular, silver 1792-dated oval Indian Peace medal with an engraving
depicting Washington extending his hand in friendship and peace to a pipe-smoking native American who has placed his long-handled battle axe on the ground as a gesture of goodwill. It is one of only five known of this date.
- An 1800 gold funeral medal produced by diemaker Jacob Perkins (1766-1849) of Newburyport, Massachusetts that was worn at a February 1800 funeral procession in Boston held in honor of Washington about two months after he died at his Mount Vernon home in Virginia.
“We are beyond thankful to Dwight Manley for bestowing this incredible gift of history and art to the Association,” says ANA Executive Director Kim Kiick. “We look forward to sharing pieces from this wonderful collection in the upcoming Money Museum exhibit in March of 2022.”
Manley has been a benefactor to the ANA for many years. In 2003, the Association named its library in his honor.
As Managing Partner of the California Gold Marketing Group, he is well-known in the numismatic community for his work with recovered sunken treasure from the fabled “Ship of Gold,” the SS Central America that sank in 1857 while carrying tons of California Gold Rush-era coins and assayers’ ingots. He also is Managing Partner of real estate development company Manley Fanticola Partners in his hometown of Brea, California.
Aug 12, 2021 | ANA, News
(Rosemont, Illinois) August 12, 2021 – Acclaimed artist Emily Damstra, whose designs are now on 11 United States coins including the new reverse of the popular Type II silver American Eagle bullion coins, hand-signed a poster size canvas print of her eagle artwork and donated it to the American Numismatic Association (www.money.org). The signing and donation took place at the ANA’s Chicago World’s Fair of Money on August 11, 2021.
Coin designer Emily S. Damstra signs a canvas print of her artwork that she donated to the ANA. (Photo by Donn Pearlman.)
Three officials of the ANA witnessed the signing of the large, 30 by 42 inches artwork depicting images of an eagle in flight and an eagle perched: Executive Director Kim Kiick, 2019-2021 President Col. Steve Ellsworth and 2021-2023 President Dr. Ralph Ross. Kiick accepted the artwork on behalf of the association.
From left to right, Col. Steve Ellsworth, Emily Damstra, Kim Kiick and Dr. Ralph Ross. (Photo by Donn Pearlman.)
A participant in the United States Mint’s Artistic Infusion Program, Damstra has designed over 40 coins and medals for the U.S. Mint and the Royal Canadian Mint including the reverse of the new Type II 2021 silver American Eagle.
A closeup of Emily Damstra’s signature on the artwork she autographed and donated to the ANA. (Photo by Donn Pearlman.)
Aug 10, 2021 | News
Longtime Pricing Specialists, Sales and Events Leaders, and a Microsoft Veteran Are Among the Recent Talent Acquisitions
(Santa Ana, California – August 10, 2021) – Professional Coin Grading Service (www.PCGS.com) has been growing at a tremendous pace over the past year, prompting a series of new hires and promotions. Among these are acquisitions of key talent from the numismatic world and other collectibles industries as well as notable in-house promotions.
“We’re bolstering staff in all areas of our company and at every level,” reports PCGS Interim President Stephanie Sabin. “For example, we’re tripling the size of the PCGS Price Guide team from two experts to six, bringing on new talent to help coordinate events, and expanding our sales and product development teams. We want to make sure that PCGS has the best experts on hand to handle the robust increases in our coin and banknote submissions over the past 18 months that is driving remarkable growth at our company.”
Justin Atkins
“I am determined to facilitate growth while maintaining the integrity of our industry,” says Atkins, who served for 20 years as a coin dealer and has a diverse background in business and education. “My goal is to usher dealers and collectors into the new digital era by enhancing our trading platforms. In addition, my priority for PCGS is to grow and educate the new generation of collectors through the development of the products offered.”
Vic Bozarth
A self-described “coin wheenie,” Bozarth has been attending coin shows for more than five decades, including nearly a quarter century operating Bozarth Numismatics and several years with Heritage Auctions. He brings a wealth of numismatic marketplace knowledge in his role with the PCGS Price Guide. “Knowing markets and how both dealers and collectors react adds reliability and perspective to the PCGS Price Guide.”
Samantha Dark
“I hope to bring in new excitement and life to all our events especially coming off of a pandemic and not having the Long Beach Expo for 18 months,” she adds. “My goals are to bring back must-see attractions to these shows to help increase foot traffic while raising awareness about the shows in their local communities to come out and attend.” Dark also plans on increasing channels of communication with coin dealers and show visitors as well as bring the PCGS Members Only Shows to new and exciting locations.
Ryan Hoge
“I’m also excited to deliver new value to collectors to make the hobby more fun and engaging,” Hoge remarks, parlaying for Collectors Universe skills learned during his 16-year career with Microsoft. “Being able to bring new products to market or improve products that are literally used by billions of people every day is what makes Microsoft such a unique company. Now I’m excited to take the experiences I’ve had there to help build new products and improve existing services for collectors.”
Chris Demoray
PCGS will soon be unveiling an exciting array of product offerings to further maximize security and value for the numismatic community and helping to spearhead these new opportunities for collectors and dealers will be Demoray. “I am proud to have been a part of this amazing company for the last eight years and I look forward to contributing toward PCGS’s future success.”
About Professional Coin Grading Service
Professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS) is a third-party coin and banknote grading company that was launched in 1986. Over 35 years, PCGS has examined and certified more than 47 million U.S. and world coins, medals, and tokens with a combined value of over $46 billion. For more information about PCGS products and services, including how to submit your coins for authentication and grading, please visit www.PCGS.com or call PCGS Customer Service at (800) 447-8848.
Aug 6, 2021 | News
Professional Coin Grading Service Chief of Staff Stephanie Sabin Brings 15 Years of Experience at the Firm to the Role
PCGS Interim President Stephanie Sabin
“We are absolutely thrilled to entrust the role of PCGS interim president to Stephanie,” says Collectors Universe CEO Nat Turner. “She has been with PCGS for more than 15 years and has expertly served in all of her roles, including her current position as chief of staff and senior director of international operations. She was also directly involved with launching the PCGS offices in Paris, Shanghai, and Hong Kong, which led to outstanding growth for our company over the past decade.”
Turner continues, “PCGS has an incredibly bright future, both here in the U.S. and internationally, and I am very excited to see how things develop over the next few years. We are looking to invest heavily into PCGS to support that future and we are deeply committed to the business.”
“I want to ensure the transition is seamless,” remarks PCGS Interim President Stephanie Sabin, who has in-depth experience at PCGS in roles that include finance, information technology, analytics, and logistics on both the domestic and international fronts. “We are already on an upward trajectory,” she adds. “I want to take this wonderful legacy that we have and continue it onward.”
Sabin, who hails from a family of numismatists and collectors, has worked in many leadership roles over the course of her career at PCGS. She began at the company in 2006 serving as a bulk dealer liaison. That role saw her handling everything from grading events in France to coordinating the import and export of bullion and valuable coins to and from the company, in addition to maintaining relationships with dealers around the world.
By 2013 her role was shifting increasingly to operations as PCGS expanded beyond the United States, with Sabin overseeing the opening of the PCGS China office in Shanghai while she continued fielding grading events overseas. Before long, she was managing operations of the Shanghai office and scouting new opportunities for the expansion of PCGS into other international markets.
In 2015 she became international operations manager leading innovations in PCGS client services and information technology systems. Rising to chief of staff and senior director of international operations in 2019 and 2020 respectively, Sabin manages day-to-day and long-term projects while piloting tactical and strategic operations alongside the PCGS president; this entails everything from company finances and investment opportunities to coordinating interoffice and external communications.
This dynamic role capitalizes on Sabin’s many strengths as a multidisciplinary leader capable of guiding operations for PCGS across its horizons. “My primary goal is to collaborate closely with Nat and the rest of the Collectors Universe team during this period of rapid growth,” explains Sabin. “The team is very excited about PCGS in general and we are investing heavily in hiring and technology – it is an exciting time to be at the helm.”
“We want to invest in the growth of PCGS while listening to internal and external feedback so that we can do everything we need to for our customers.” Sabin also says she puts great faith in what her PCGS colleagues relay to her. “I trust our team of experts, both in the grading room and across our other departments and offices around the world. They are incredibly knowledgeable and passionate people.”
She goes on to say, “PCGS in its 35 years has accomplished so much, and it’s because of the people both here and abroad that are working together to help our customers and help all involved in numismatics. Numismatics is a way for people who are passionate about our hobby to come together – it’s wonderful for all of this to be possible.”
About Professional Coin Grading Service
Professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS) is a third-party coin and banknote grading company that was launched in 1986. Over 35 years, PCGS has examined and certified more than 47 million U.S. and world coins, medals, and tokens with a combined value of over $46 billion. For more information about PCGS products and services, including how to submit your coins for authentication and grading, please visit www.PCGS.com or call PCGS Customer Service at (800) 447-8848.
Aug 5, 2021 | News
Whitman Authors Ken Bressett and Jeff Garrett Will Autograph Books at the American Numismatic Association World’s Fair of Money
Whitman Publishing Will Debut
A Penny Saved: R.S. Yeoman and His Remarkable Red Book
The hobby’s popular “Red Book” is celebrating its 75th edition this year. In A Penny Saved, Kenneth Bressett presents a history of the groundbreaking book and a biography of author R.S. Yeoman, who helped ignite a boom in coin-collecting starting in the 1930s and 1940s by promoting innovations including coin boards, folders, and new books.
Ken Bressett is editor emeritus of the Guide Book of United States Coins (popularly known as the “Red Book”), which celebrates its 75th edition this year, and of the Handbook of United States Coins (the wholesale-pricing Blue Book) and Mega Red (the 1,504-page expanded version of the Red Book).
His newest title is A Penny Saved: R.S. Yeoman and His Remarkable Red Book, which makes its public debut at the ANA show. This richly illustrated volume tells the history of Whitman Publishing and the Red Book, along with a biography of its original author, R.S. Yeoman, and an autobiography of Bressett himself.
Jeff Garrett, a professional numismatist and former president of the ANA, took over from Bressett as senior editor of the Red Book and the Blue Book in 2018. He also serves as valuations editor of Mega Red, which is edited by another hobby legend, Q. David Bowers.
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Kenneth Bressett autographing a copy of the 1,504-page Mega Red for Caleb Noel, then news editor (and now editor) of the ANA’s Numismatist magazine. (2017)
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Senior Editor Jeff Garrett signing copies of the Red Book at the 2018 Whitman Baltimore Expo.
The collectible hardcover 75th-edition Red Book features a special silver-foil cover to mark its milestone anniversary. More than 25 million copies of the book have been sold since it debuted in 1946. Many hobbyists collect the Red Book itself, including varieties and special editions.
“Whitman book-signing sessions give collectors a rare chance to meet some of our favorite hobby authors in person,” said Whitman publisher Dennis Tucker. “Bring your camera and take a selfie with Ken Bressett and Jeff Garrett. You’ll always take home amazing memories from the ANA World’s Fair of Money.”
Whitman Publishing is located at booth #429, at the end of the Ultra-Premium section, near the display of the Tyrant Collection of rare coins. Bressett and Garrett are scheduled to autograph books at 11:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. Thursday, August 12, and Friday, August 13.
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Bressett tells the story of publishing giant Western Printing & Lithographing Company and follows the development of its offshoot, Whitman Publishing, from 1916 to today.
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R.S. Yeoman and the Red Book revolutionized coin collecting by presenting, for the first time, an impartial, professional catalog of average prices dealers were charging for every U.S. coin. It made the hobby accessible to people of all ages, interests, and budgets.
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In A Penny Saved, Ken Bressett has compiled never-before-released documents from the Whitman Publishing archives. He also shares a treasure trove of family photos, corporate memorabilia, and personal recollections about the Red Book and the coin dealers, collectors, researchers, and others who have made it so remarkable.
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Bressett, who worked alongside Yeoman, also shares his own life story in and out of numismatics. Both men have left indelible imprints on the hobby and on publishing in the United States.
Aug 5, 2021 | News
(San Francisco, California) August 5, 2021 – Described as “quite a spectacular coin,” the second finest known 1927-D Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle has been sold for nearly $ 3,090,000 by Witter Coin of San Francisco, California. Once part of the legendary Eliasberg Collection, it is graded PCGS MS66+ CAC.
The second finest known, this 1927-D Double Eagle graded PCGS MS66+ CAC was sold to a collector by Witter Coin of San Francisco for nearly $3.1 million. (Photos courtesy of Witter Coin.)
“I’ve always wanted to handle a 1927-D Saint since I was a kid collecting coins. It is the rarest 20th century U.S. circulation strike gold coin released for circulation, and I’m happy to have this opportunity to place it in a splendid collection,” said Seth Chandler, owner of Witter Coin. “The buyer is a private collector who is thrilled to own an ultra-classic rarity.”
Both the buyer and former owner of the coin want to remain anonymous, according to Chandler.
“It’s quite a spectacular coin,” stated John Albanese, founder of Certified Acceptance Corporation (CAC). “I’ve handled four other ’27-D Saints over the years, but this was the first time I saw the Elisaberg coin in person. I was really blown away by it and its great color, and lack of abrasions that usually plague this issue.”
Louis E. Eliasberg Sr. (1896-1976) was a Baltimore, Maryland financier known as “The King of Coins” because of his unmatched achievement of collecting a virtually complete set of examples of every United States Mint coin known at the time.
The 1927-D Double Eagle will be displayed by Witter Coin at both #127 during the 2021 Chicago World’s Fair of Money (www.WorldsFairofMoney.com), August 10-14.
Witter Coin is located at 2299 Lombard St., San Francisco. The gallery is open Monday to Friday from 10 am to 6 pm and Saturday from 10 am to 3 pm. For additional information, call 415-781-5690 or email sales@WitterCoin.com.
Aug 2, 2021 | News, Shows & Conventions, video
More than a than a year after the COVID Pandemic the Florida United Numismatists are holding a coin convention. This is the largest summer convention ever held with almost 300 bourse tables of dealers wanting to buy, sell, and trade coins, paper money and collectibles. FUN President Hurst celebrates the opening of event by giving Presidential Awards to Gary Braisted, Randy Campbell, Kenny Mullins, and Bob Russell.
Watch it directly on YouTube → here.
Jul 29, 2021 | News
David Lange
Acknowledgment is made to Leonard Augsburger for coordinating the posting of images scanned and submitted by Lange.
David W. Lange is the author of the standard book on this area of collecting titled Coin Collecting Boards of the 1930 & 1940s: A Complete History, Catalog and Value Guide, and he has also written three more books detailing coin album publishers and their product lines. In addition to maintaining his own reference collection, Lange buys and sells these books and vintage coin boards through his website: https://www.coincollectingboards.com.
His quarterly newsletter, COIN BOARD NEWS, is available free of charge in PDF form by email, and it may be obtained in hardcopy. Contact David at DavidWLange@outlook.com to arrange to obtain the hardcopy newsletter.
Jul 28, 2021 | News
CSNS annual honor recognizes lifetime achievements of professional numismatists
July 28, 2021 — The Central States Numismatic Society (www.CentralStatesNumismaticSociety.org) is presenting its annual Q. David Bowers Award this year to dealer, numismatic author and National Silver Dollar Roundtable Founder John W. Highfill of Broken Arrow, Oklahoma.
“The award, which was first presented at the 2019 Central States convention, is designed to recognize the unselfish devotion, scholarly contributions and investments of time and resources made by a numismatic professional to the hobby. John Highfill checks all of those boxes,” said CSNS President Mitch Ernst.
Owner of Oklahoma Coin Exchange since 1976, Highfill founded the non-profit, educational National Silver Dollar Roundtable (www.NSDR.net) in 1982 to advance knowledge about United States silver dollars. In 1992, he published his landmark 1,200-page reference book, The Comprehensive U.S. Silver Dollar Encyclopedia. The updated 2021 edition is now 2,000 pages with additional updates posted online.
“I want to thank the Central States Numismatic Society for honoring me with this award,” said Highfill.
“Throughout my long career, I have always been aware of the need to ‘give back’ and to help advance the hobby whether I was writing to educate, sitting on organizations’ boards, hosting coins shows or being the founder of the National Silver Dollar Roundtable. I have always treasured the relationship and friends I have made in my 40-plus years in the numismatic community. Central States recognizes the significant contributions of all dealers, which often goes unnoticed, and CSNS is appreciated for their efforts to promote the hobby. I am both humbled and honored,” stated Highfill.
A member of more than two dozen local, regional and national numismatic organizations including the Professional Numismatists Guild (www.PNGdealers.org), Highfill has served on the American Numismatic Association (www.money.org) Board of Governors and was a founding member of the Industry Council for Tangible Assets, now known as the National Coin & Bullion Association (www.ICTAonline.org).
After service in the United States Air Force, Highfill was a record promoter, working with such well-known entertainers as Elvis Presley, Karen Carpenter and Kenny Rogers. He was promoted to Vice President of ABC Records soon after protecting a young Donny Osmond from thousands of exuberant fans at a planned appearance in Las Vegas.
In addition to coins, Highfill also successfully dealt over the years in Beanie Babies® and Pokémon© collectibles.
Named after well-known dealer and prolific numismatic author Q. David Bowers, recipients of the Central States Numismatic Society’s annual lifetime achievement award are chosen by the CSNS Convention Committee, composed primarily of numismatic professionals.
For additional information about the Central States Numismatic Society and its annual convention conducted in the Chicago suburb of Schaumburg, Illinois each April, visit www.CentralStatesNumismaticSociety.org.
